Common sense and practicality

[Borngeechee]

How often does common sense and practicality come into play for your hunting purchases? Is it the majority of the time or do wants drive a lot with practicality as an afterthought? I personally tend to fight with the two lol. The wants tend to win more and usually cost me more money but it's fun.

Geechee born and Geechee bred

[G-Man]

In the last 3 or 4 years I don't buy anything unless I'm replacing what broke.. I'm not a gimmick guy at all

[BellR]

I'm dealing with this myself now working on getting gear together for an elk hunt out west in the fall of 2017, its hard to pick the right gear.  Usually I'm on the practical side of things... my stuff has worked fine for me and if I don't get a deer/turkey/squirrel/whatever I don't blame my gear, I blame my hunting. 

 

Getting stuff for out west is the same thing... there a lot of my "wants" and "needs" have a huge price difference.  Instead of getting a $300-$400 frame pack in addition to a day pack I decided on going with a $80 pack that can do both jobs adequately because it was more practical.  Now, if I decide to make this an annual or biannual trip my priorites may change and I may eventually get the more expensive stuff, but right now for my first trip I just cant justify it to myself. 

 

With that being said, if the right piece of gear makes that big of a difference I'll just buy it.  I have heard only rave reviews about merino wool as a base layer, and while it would be cheaper to go with synthetics, I think I'm just going to get the good stuff the first time. 

[stoneam2006]

I tend to hunt with the bare minimums my Camo is not top shelf neither are my weapons. I buy a few guns over the year to try out as good deals present themselves but end up reselling as nothing compares to the confidence I have with my current set ups....that being said I am looking at the Matthew's no cam htr weekly and want it bad....but my bow still fires accurately and never let's me down lol

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[The_Real_TCIII]

I spend a lot on clothes because IMO it's the most important thing I use for hunting. My bows are top of the line but I buy year olds on line. I'm never paying a grand for a bow that you literally can't give away three/four years later

[DirtTime]

I tend to think things through these days. If I can't/won't use it I won't buy it. 

[gjs4]

I think those with common sense an practicality don't make hunting purchases.

[DirtTime]

I think those with common sense an practicality don't make hunting purchases.

This had to be sarcasm.........

[ants]

In the past five or six years have gotten a lot more practical, as far as buying gear. I get it if I need it or if its a big improvement  over what I already have. But when it comes to guns,,,Im completely out of control. I need group therapy .

[Nomad]

Well I've bought two bows in almost 30 years of bow hunting ......

[maytom]

Well I've bought two bows in almost 30 years of bow hunting ......

 

 

Almost like you Larry, 2 bows in 20 years. Still on that second one now......

[The_Real_TCIII]

In the past five or six years have gotten a lot more practical, as far as buying gear. I get it if I need it or if its a big improvement over what I already have. But when it comes to guns,,,Im completely out of control. I need group therapy .

at least guns hold their value

[Jason118]

I used to buy just about anything I wanted without question. The wife and I both do well and have joint and separate checking accounts so even after getting married it wasn't like I had to explain myself. Now at 42 we have our first child 4months old. That's a nanny, diapers, education savings ~ have you checked the prices of a good university lately????? I'm a little more conservative with my spending lately for sure

[Elmo]

I used to buy just about anything I wanted without question. The wife and I both do well and have joint and separate checking accounts so even after getting married it wasn't like I had to explain myself. Now at 42 we have our first child 4months old. That's a nanny, diapers, education savings ~ have you checked the prices of a good university lately????? I'm a little more conservative with my spending lately for sure

My exact situation. I never had to explain a purchase. Matter of fact, I still don't. At most, I'll ask for my wife's opinion as she's usually the angel on the shoulder whispering in one of the ears.

But now with a son, it's actually me stopping myself more than anything. My son's pre-school cost just as much as some college tuitions!

[Doc]

Sometime in the late 90's I decided to ditch the tournament archery and concentrate on hunting. At the same time, I began to recognize the fact that I had a wall full of bows, arrows, equipment, and drawers full of gadgets, gizmos and go-fasters most of which hadn't really added anything significant to my accuracy. So, in 1999, I bought my Mathews MQ-32, and shut down all future purchases. I still get deer, and still enjoy shooting, but I am living off the fat of years of past purchases. I have a collection of old aluminum arrows that is huge. I have a wall full of bows. I have a tackle box full of accessories. And I am very well equipped to shoot a deer. No more chasing after speed or any of the other things that I had always convinced myself that I needed. So in short, I have shifted the emphasis from buying success to simply enjoying using what I've got. Today, I literally spend absolutely nothing on my archery. I probably could have done this thousands of dollars and decades earlier if I had not gotten caught up in the tournament bug and all the advertising hype. Looking back over the years, the fact is that that old Bear Whitetail with the pulleys and cables all over the place and the clunky epoxy limbs that could be used as a crow-bar seemed to be quite an adequate and reliable deer-getter.

[philoshop]

Mostly just reloading supplies at this point.

[Water Rat]

I tend to piss money away when it comes to hunting/fishing/trapping.

[WingNut]

My philosophy these days is "Less is More".  So, by necessity only. 

[Five Seasons]

I start every season reminding myself I have everything from last year needed to kill a turkey or deer. I know I might need some new soap, lure, gut out bags etc. and that's it. Inevitably I spend 2 or 3 hundred on stuff. Some gimmicky, but most of it just to make my life easier.

[gjs4]

This had to be sarcasm.........

No that was serious. People who scout their butts off and hold woodsman ship in their skill sets don't fall for the retail pixie dust corner cutting perils almost all the others in this activity do. The reasons the shows are commercials filled with commercials is most hunters just want to buy their way into bigger or more animals but fall into their own socio economic constraints. Simply posing "if this thing was so effective wouldn't everyone use it and the total population of these animals hammered." In the checkout line would save a lot of debt in hunters homesteads.

Wants to kill more and bigger deer? Scout more and keep a journal of every putting. Fact. But instead $10 -$50 lotto tickets to better bucks takes place to the tune of millions of dollars each year with scents or the acorn cruncher....

[hunterman7956]

Before entering any store that carries anything hunting or fishing related I leave my money and credit cards in the trunk of my car .. works for me ...

[NFA-ADK]

After hunting so many years basically I only purchase a few things.  Clothes, ammo, arrows, sometimes I like to try new calls rain gear always gets torn in thick brush so that is another thing always on my radar and boots, I really like good hiking boots.  Think I have 6 just for hunting so I am good on boots for a few years.  With the exception of really light clothes I pretty much have all I need or want.  My biggest expense is arrows usually from hitting them with another arrow.  Basically I have 2 things on my radar for this year, the extinguisher deer call, (I like how you can have one call to make multiple deer sounds.) and rubber boots for LI bow as one brute busted me last year.  Rain gear and rain gloves are the only other thing I look for.  Still have my MQ1 bow but purchased the Helium a couple years ago, have been thinking about the elite just because of how nice it shoots.  If I can quit smoking the bow would be my bonus. 

 

New clothes are worth the expense, less layers and moister wicking is what keeps me in the woods all day.  Bought a used, new GPS last year, good thing as the old one got water in the contact area and broke off, I was able to jam some metal in it for the ADK trip but this year I think I will need to use the new one. 

 

So for me its bullets, arrows, rubber boots, water proof gloves and possibly rain gear along with one call.  Est. 600$ - 700$ depending on how much lead I sling down range.  GPS radios are on the radar as the kids will be coming up to the ADK one of these years.

[Doc]

.......My biggest expense is arrows usually from hitting them with another arrow.......

Use different target spots for each shot. It'll save you a ton of money. I have a 5-spot target on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper that I print up off my computer that I use and that works great. I have to really screw up ugly-bad in order to smash arrows.

[Pygmy]

Guns are my weakness...Something about fondling that cold steel makes me fall in LOVE, especially if it is a good deal..

I have been considering buying a new expensive turkey decoy this spring, but so far I have resisted the urge, since the half dozen I have out in my garage did the job just FINE the last few seasons..

[Five Seasons]

Guns are my weakness...Something about fondling that cold steel makes me fall in LOVE, especially if it is a good deal..

I have been considering buying a new expensive turkey decoy this spring, but so far I have resisted the urge, since the half dozen I have out in my garage did the job just FINE the last few seasons..

You live in the wrong state buddy